Stuffing box and packing therefor



.Ean. 29, E -35. J. M KEE 1,989,644

- STUFFING BOX AND PACKING THEREFOR Filed Oct; 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1935- Q J. F. McKEE 1,989,644

STUFFIYNG BOX AND PACKING THEREFOR Filed Oct. 9, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STUFFING BOX AND PACKING THEREFOR John F. McKee, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to Yarnall-Waring Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 9, 1931, Serial No. 567,827 1 Claim. (01. 285-162) My invention relates to stuffing boxes and the practical and eflicient in operation and which well packings thereof. illustrate the principles involved.

A purpose of my invention is to charge a stufl- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an expansion ing box with plastic or semi-plastic packing joint for a steam line or the like and. including through ports located at an end of the box, preta stuinng box embodying one form of my inven- 5 erably a plurality of ports entering the box at tion. circumferentially distributed points, with outer Figure 2 is a section taken upon the line 2-2 portions of the ports conveniently extending inof Figure 1. wardly from the outside of a flange. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section A further purpose is to admit packing to a stufitaken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 10

ing box through ports extending longitudinally Figure 3a. is a fragmentary section upon the in the gland, so that the portions of the boxline 3a3 a of Figure 3. other than the gland may be made in the usual Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan of Figure 3. manner, and so that my method of packing may Figure 4a is a section corresponding in posibe applied to existing boxes by merely changing tion to Figure 3, drawn to reduced scale an 15 the gland. showing a variation.

A further purpose is to provide packing for a Figure 4b is a section corresponding in posistufilng box in stick units, for insertion by pumption to Figure 3, drawn to reduced scale and showing, preferably ahead of screw operated plungers, ing a different variation.

a stick unit being dimensioned to adapt it to slip Figure 5 is a view corresponding to a fragment 20 in easily ahead of a plunger when the plunger of Figure 2 to enlarged scale and showing a difhas been removed without interfering with an ferent form from that of Figures 1 to 4. easy replacement of the plunger for subsequently Figure 6 is a section taken upon the line 66 forcing the stick into the box as needed. of Figure 5 or'the line 6'-6 of Figure '7.

A further purpose is to place aninlet fitting Figure '7 is a section taken upon the line 1-7 25 on the outer end of an inlet port on a packing of Figure 6. 1 gland, so that apump need only be applied to Figure 8 s VieW Corresponding generally to -the inlet when injecting packing. Figure 2, but drawn to reduced scale, and in- A further purpose is to provide a packing comtended to show conventionally the adaptation of pound well adapted to the intended service. the invention to Various yp of ufl boxes. 0

A further purpose is to provide easy and no el for example those about reciprocating or revolvmeans for adding plastic or semi-plastic packing ing Shafts, plungers. BT10- to a stuffing box without needing to discontinue Fig e 9 is a View Corresponding to 'D the service of the pipe or shaft within the box. of Figure 3, showing a different form.

A further purpose is to seat the end flange of Figure 10 is a section of Figure 9 taken upon 86' a removable gland of a stufling box against the the line 10-10 thereof.

. end of the annulus surrounding the gland, per- Figure 11 is a w corresponding n a y t mitting an initial charging of the box with pack-- \Figbut Showing a different forming with the gland removed, an initial compress- Figure 12 g Perspective View illustrating 3 mg of the charged packing by screwing the gland set of packing sticks for use with any one of the home to a definite seat where it makes a packboxes i mi m the dra'wmgsing seal with the end of the annulus and to prog i l t a f -g and not m lmutation vide for easy subsequent charging of packing an re .errmg 9 e mW11gs: I

through the gland while the gland is in, place h mtroducmgrcg g f i stumflg boxes and without need for interrupting the service as een accoml.) 15 e m vanous of the box or loss of steam or other fluid sealed others by removmg the gla1nd and msertmg the from esca e at the box packing through the opening left thereby and p by pumping in the packing through one or more Furthel: purposes W111 appear m the speclfica' ports in the outside wall of the box. I have dis- W m h clalmcovered that packing may be satisfactorily in- 50 My invention relates to the methods involved Serted through ports in the packing gland and to the apparatus used to carry out the methn without the necessity f altering th 5 struction of other parts of the stuffing box.

I have elected to show a few forms only of Thus my invention may be applied in existing my invention, selecting however forms which are stuffingboxes by merely changing the packing gland. Furthermore, I may, if I desire, remove the packing gland and initially introduce the packing into the box in the ordinary manner, then replace the gland and add further packing, without removing the gland, through the ports in the gland.

By introducing a check valve, preferably of stationary type, into the stufling box at the inner end of each port, packing may be pumped into the box under considerable pressure, preferably from a plunger operating in a cylinder, and the pressure may be released outside the box, asfor example, to insert a new packing charge, while maintaining the pressure upon the packing'in the box. The check valve of this type is'the invention of D. Robert Yarnall, described and claimed in an application copending herewith. The success of a stationary type of check valve when used for this purpose depends upon "the highly viscous character of the packingwhich I employ.

I preferably form my .Dacking into sticks of suitable size for insertion into the pump, Be sides being convenient units to handle, the sticks do not require cutting or measuring of the packing for a single application. v

While my invention is applicable to stufiing boxesgenerally, Ibelieve that its widest utility is in expansion ,joints, because these are ordinarily located in inaccessible places, such as pipe ducts,. and therefore the convenience of the means for replacing the packing is at a premium. I will accordingly describe an expansion joint embodying my invention.

The joint illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. includes the telescoping inner and outer slides 10 and 11 which present their end flanges 12 and 13 for connection to the corresponding flanges of adjoining piping, not shown.

Suitable anchor connections 14 and 15 and a boss 16 for a drain connection may be electrically welded to the outer slide.

The inner slide, 10 is externally uniformly cylindrical throughout its length except for the flange 12 at one end and projections, not shown, at the other end that function to prevent inadvertent separation of the slides as in the event of any failure 01 an anchor that normally prevents longitudinal opening movement'of the joint members.

The outer slide 11 provides an annular stufiing box space 17 toward its overlapping end and rearwardly of the stufling box includes a cylindrical guide 18 that makes a close fit with the outside of the inner slide 10, packing 19 within the stuffing box sealing the joint from the interior of the inner slide alongthe inside of the cylindrical guide 18.

The cylindrical guide 18 is shown with a' considerable portion of its length spaced inwardly at 20 from the main body of the outer slide to /which it is rigidly connected at 21 adiaeentthe inner end of the stufling box.

The outer slide surrounds my packing gland which forms an end closure of the packing space 17, the gland being shown removable and desirably comprising a flange 22 and an annular portion 23 that may be integral with the flange and fits and extends into the annular packing space 3'? between the inner and outer slides.

The flange 22 is clamped to the end of the slide body at 24, circumferentially spaced lugs 25 around the end of the slide carrying the clamping bolts.

Suitable packing 26 is shown between the end of the body and the flange. Packing at this point is desirable, but not necessary.

It will be seen that the gland may be used as an ordinary gland when first charging the box with packing, a suitable initial charge of packing being inserted in the open end of the packing space with the gland removed, the gland then being replacedand drawn up strongly until it seatsupon the packing 26 against the end of the slide body.

- -At suitably circumierentially arranged points of the gland I provide passages or ports 27 for delivering packing at distributed points into the stuiling box. 'The gland is provided with pumps packing in the pas- .nea'th the lip to enter the stufling box from the passage 27, packing will not pass-out from the stuffing box through the passage 27 because the lip 27'- covers the end of the passage 27, and the viscosity of the packing is too great to permit of flow of packing'around the lip. Thus, though all partsof the end of the port 27 are stationary, the lip 27' acts effectively as a check valve.

There are several ways in which the packing may be initially inserted into my stufling box. The packing gland may be removed and the box filled with packing in the usual manner to a depth sufiicient so that thepacking will be under pressure when the gland is bolted into place in Afterthe joint has been once packed in any one of the ways specified, further additions of packing will preferably be made by screwing down the pump plungers 29, thus forcing packing material from the ports 27 around the lips 27' and into the stufling box space 19.

When'any one of the pump plungers has been screwed fully home, it may be removed without fear of leakage of packing out through the port 27, because leakage is prevented by the curved lip 27'. A new charge may be then inserted in the outer end of the passage 27 and the pump plunger again screwed down to expel packing material into the packing box space 19. The new charge-will preferably be added in the form of a stick of suitable size to fit in the outer end of the port 27.-

If, due to an emergency, or for any other reason, it be desired to insert braided or other similar packing into the stufiiing box, this may be done by backing oiT the packing gland in the ordinary way. The user of my stuifiing box isat no time precluded from changing the form of packing employed. g

The number of ports 27 and pump plungers 29 will of COllISc depend upon the size of the joint to be packed and upon the pressure of the fluid medium. In general I prefer to have an even number of ports 27 grouped in pairs, one

- all ports, it will of course be evident that a pump may be temporarily attached to a port in order to apply pressure to the port and then moved to another port. I show in Figure 4a a fitting 29' adapted to make contact with a pump external to the gland. The fitting may be provided with the usual ball check, although this is not necessary. I

In the form of Figures 5 to '1 the bores for charging are left unthreaded, cylindrical pump plungers 30 and 31 being provided fltting the charging bores 32 and 33 and forced inward by a screw plug 34 intermediate the charging plungers. Y

The intermediate screw plug 34 operates the plungers 30 and 31 by means of a flange 35 below the wrench hold 36, opposite sides of the flange fitting into lateral slots 37 of the charging plung ers, and the charging plungers being moved up and down by screwing the plug up and down.

This form is advantageous in that it avoids a relatively rough surface presented to the packing inside .the charging passage and also in that the packing sticks are applied in pairs and adapted to move in opposite directions after they enter the box, so that there is no need for any division of a single stick of packing.

The lip 82 (Figure 6) acts as a check valve to the passage 32. g

In operation, the form of Figure 5 to 7 is similar to that of Figures 1 to 4.

In the form shown in Figures 9 and 10 the charging port 38 divides at its inner end at 39 and 40, thereby dividing the stick of packing so as to enter the stuffing box in two directions. The sharp end of the abutment 38' assists in dividing the stick of packing.

This form is more desirable when the character of the stick is such as to permit division. If the stick includes long fibers of asbestos or the like, division of the individual sticks is less easy and the form shown in Figure 11 may be used.

Herethe ports 41 and 42 upon opposite sides of the screw plug 43 enter the circumferential space in opposite directions. Thescrewing in of the plug 43 pushes in two sticks simultaneously, which are deflected oppositely at the inner ends of the ports.

An important feature of my invention is directed to the packing. I make the packing up in formed sticks 44 of predetermined size to fit the ports ahead of the charging plungers.

The sticks 44 are preferably of a length somewhat less than the range of movement of the screw plungers so. that after the plungers have been screwed all the way home and are removed for charging a fresh stick or sticks, the new sticks are not long enough to extend'out the charging ports when slipped to place, the sticks being short enough for the easyfentry of the plungers after the-stick insertion preparatory to forcing the plungers inward along the ports,

I find that the packing sticks are desirably formed of material that includes long-fiber, highgrade asbestos as a base, with a solid lubricant, which may be soapstone or graphite, either or both, and high fire test mineral oil.

I mix the ingredients, preferably in the proportions by weight of one part of carded asbestos, four parts of pulverized soapstone, three parts of graphite and two parts of heavy oil, and subject them successively to high pressure and high temperature (about 800 F.) as explained in my copending application, Serial Number 551,368, for Soapstone, asbestosand oil packing.

A very desirable feature of the invention in cludes the high pressure gasket joint at 26 between the end of the stuillng box and the gland which entirely eliminates danger of leakage at this point. In practice it has been found hithertomost difllcult to keep a stufling box tight between the outside surface of the gland and the inside surface of the stufling box, especially in a steam line, due to the tendency of water to make channels in the packing at this point.

While the invention has been illustrated in detail-as applied to the stufllng box of an expansion joint, it is also available for all types of stufilng boxes, as for reciprocating or revolvas they are located so as not to interfere with,

removal of the gland. In Figure 4b, for example, the plunger extends diagonally.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reason able spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7

Means for maintaining the packing of a conventional telescopic pipe expansion joint comprising, in combination with radially. spaced outer and inner slides of the joint, which leave an open packing space between the slides, means for tightening a gland, a gland having a sleeve and a flange, being adapted to compress the pack ing in the box and having a plurality of circumferentially distributed passages through the sleeve for introduction of fluid packing of selfsustaining consistency under pressure when necessary to add packing to the packing space and a plurality of pumps mounted on the flange, one cooperating with each passage.

JOHN F. MoKEE. 

